How to be good is always assumed to be the dumbest question, you know, Be good!

 

But there is a problem, yes, a big fat problem!

 

You see the problem is called ego.

 

What is our ego?

 

Well there many definitions, as there are, to many somewhat ambiguous terms.

 

But for the sake of this conversation, ego means our desire for supremacy.

 

You know, why people like becoming movie stars etc. etc.

 

We all have this little devil inside us, that instinctively enjoys feeling superior to others.

 

Most of our jokes in fact are about rednecks etc. etc. and so what’s so funny about it is, because we enjoy feeling superior, hence many many many sitcoms etc. etc. are really just the joy of feeling superior to the characters.

 

But I don’t see my ego, doesn’t mean you don’t have it.

 

Let me share with you a moshel / parable the Baal Shem Tov, the greatest Jewish mystic of all times, shares describing ego even within those of us who don’t see it!

 

A man journeying with his driver fell asleep in the car, and the driver went up a mountain and continued going straight as this was a vey long straight road on top of the mountain and the guy who fell asleep woke up – now unbeknown to him the straight road which was really much higher, was now on top of a mountain! – similarly, the Baal Shem Tov teaches, we have egos, though we aren’t even aware of them!

 

So now we get to the problem of goodness, for once we do good, we then increase our ego!

 

So we need a new goodness, a goodness in which we both continuously grow in goodness and at the same time grow in humility – and this is where orthodox Judaism, especially Jewish mysticism, Chassidus comes in.

 

For if we attribute our goodness to, to our own efforts, rather, to a gift from God, who enabled us – though we are undeserving of the privilege – to be used by him for good, instead of evil! for as our sages teach us, all comes from God, besides the choice to be good! Hence, though we may choose to be good, if we have the opportunity – as the Baal Shem Tov said, “we should eagerly await perhaps God will give us the opportunity to do a kindness today!” – this is already God’s gift to us!!!